`76pct of road accidents caused by negligence`

The Tanzania Association of Drivers and Conductors (Uwamata) mobilisation committee has said over 76 per cent of road accidents are caused by negligence.

Various research findings also show that 16 per cent of the accidents are due to poor conditions of vehicles, while eight per cent are caused by poor roads and bad weather conditions.

This was said by Uwamata secretary Said Abdallah during a speech he made before the guest of honour, while closing a meeting of drivers in Singida region at Vocational Education and Training Authority (Veta) Hall.

However, the secretary said surveys showed 72 per cent of the road accidents were caused by reckless driving and that four per cent of the 72 was due to other road users - pedestrians, cyclists and police traffic officers.

He said statistics showed there was a general increase in the number of accidents, something that threatened national development and social welfare.

If the trend is not contained through the cooperation of various stakeholders, then fatal accidents will continue and increase the number of people with disabilities, thus causing families and the nation great losses.

“Therefore, drivers and driving colleges have the responsibility of coming up with measures that will help to reduce accident incidences, particularly through insistence and provision of public service vehicle education," he said.

The secretary also advised the government to ensure no body drove without possessing a valid driving licence.

Closing the meeting on the behalf of the Singida regional commissioner, the regional administrative secretary, Liana Hassani, used the opportunity to instruct the traffic police to enforce traffic regulations and laws to control matters.

He said the government would not tolerate any negligence when it came to enforcing the law.